Things To Do in Augusta Michigan

Attractions To See -Augusta Michigan

Augusta Michigan is the home of many splendid things — we know it, because we live here. Beautiful scenery, majestic lakes, fabulous food, quirky locales and hidden gems just barely scratch the surface of what Augusta Michigan has to offer.

We asked staff members of the Augusta Press to share some of the best things to see and do in Michigan, based on our personal experiences. Here are 50 ideas you may want to add to your bucket list if you visit Augusta, MI.

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Reason # 1 The Motor City

Maybe I'm a little bit biased since I come from Detroit, but I think that Detroit is a great reason to visit Michigan. Ignore, for a moment, the decrepit old houses and deteriorating neighborhoods, and think of the city's rich, vibrant culture and historical landmarks. Detroit is home to "The Big 3" and "Motown" after all. I don't care how much negative press you've heard about the city, don't tell me that you haven't driven a Big 3 car or been in love with a Motown song. The city's current decline is certainly no reason not to visit. Just be sure to keep your doors locked.(That was a joke, by the way).

Reason # 5 The Sports Teams

So, the Detroit Lions haven't done so well in the past few years. The Tigers almost made it to the World Series this year. The NBA is in the middle of a lockout, so we won't mention the Detroit Pistons. The Red Wings are probably the most consistent team we have, and although I don't follow hockey, it seems like they're winning the Stanley Cup every other year.

Plus, there are all of the college teams - the Big House (University of Michigan) is one of the most popular sporting venues in the country.

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Detroit Commercial Property - Now Is The Time to Buy!

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Does commercial real estate in southeast Michigan offer the most outstanding investment potential anywhere in the country right now? Some investors think so. When the great recession fully took hold in late 2008, the entire real estate market, both locally and nationally, plummeted in price creating a once in a lifetime opportunity for all cash investors. There have been a handful of high-profile transactions in the past few months with the promise of more to come in 2012. The buyers range from out-of-town value seekers to savvy local investors. Here are two examples:

West Tech Park is one of the premiere R&D/Flex developments in the suburban west side market. It sits prominently at the corner of Haggerty Road and the busy I-696/I-275 Interchanges in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Totaling nine (9) buildings, and over 278,000 SF in size, it was originally developed in the late 1980's by a partnership of well-known local developer REDICO and TIAA-CREF, the giant teacher's pension fund in New York. West Tech Park has had a few other prominent owners over the years, including Pennsylvania based Liberty Property Trust, Iowa based Principal Life Insurance Company and of late, ETC Capital LLC, which is backed by local 5-Hour Energy entrepreneur Manoj Bhargava. ETC Capital was able to acquire West Tech Park for $8.5 million, or $30 per square foot. This is less than 50% of the cost to construct the property back in 1987, when asking rents alone topped the market at $12.00 to $13.00 per square foot. Now granted, the new Landlord will have to invest additional dollars to maintain the property and outfit it for new tenants (the property was only 32% occupied at the time of purchase according to CoStar.com), but ETC Capital will be competing for those tenants with a base investment significantly lower than many of the competing area properties. Bhargava, through another entity, recently purchased a modern Plymouth Township building formerly occupied by Johnson Controls for a mere $22 per square foot. Again, this just is a fraction of the cost to construct this building back in 1996. One can only conclude that Bhargava knows great value when he sees it, and believes in the long-term prosperity of Metro Detroit.

The unprecedented swoon in the commercial real estate market has created a once in a lifetime opportunity for value investors. It's time to buy commercial property in Detroit!

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The Detroit Metro Area has a lot of really neat things for people to do and see.

I grew up in the Chicago Area. I lived in the Cleveland-Akron Area, the Winston-Salem-Greensboro Area, Kalamazoo, and Grand Rapids, Michigan. So I have not lived everywhere, but I have seen enough places to speak intelligently, and I know that Detroit has things to offer. Detroit has some things to offer, despite what you hear in the news and from people with negative attitudes.

These are the things I would miss the most if I no longer lived here:

1. Professional Sports Teams: You have the Red Wings (Hockey), the Tigers (Major League Baseball), the Lions who are now winners in football once again, the Pistons (Men's Basketball), and the Shock (Women's Basketball). There are also several Minor League Baseball teams within a short drive, too.

2. Proximity to Universities (within 2 hours): University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan State University in Lansing, Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Wayne State University in Detroit, University of Detroit Mercy in Detroit, Adrian College in Adrian, Albion College in Albion, Alma College in Alma, Olivet College in Olivet, and the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio. Plus, there are several other smaller colleges throughout the city and the surrounding area.

3. Coney Island Restaurants: These are your basic greasy spoon Greek restaurants, but you can always find Chicken Lemon Soup and mouth watering, heart-killing Coney Dogs waiting for you to devour. For those who do not know what a Coney Dog is, it is a hot dog in a bun topped with a special Coney Chili, onions, and mustard. It sounds disgusting and is, but it sure tastes good!

4. Arabic/Middle Eastern Restaurants & Culture: Detroit Metro Area has the largest Arabic population outside of Middle East. This is a pretty amazing fact. It is nothing more than a mere fact, unless you count all of the places that serve wonderful baklava, an intensely sweet bakery desert that is almost like candy. There is good humus and bad humus. When you go to the right places, there are few things as tasty as a piece of warm, soft pita bread dipped into property flavored humus. Then you have your supremely spiced meats: gyros, kababs, schawarmas, and more. You will not find a dollar menu at these places, but you can eat a wonderful meal without spending a truckload of money.

5. Pizza Papalis: Buddy's and Shield's pizza are Detroit's cornerstones for pizza. They both have a good pan pizza. However, as a non-native Detroiter, these do not compare with Pizza Papalis. Chicago is known for their pizza. There are many places outside of the Chicago Area that will claim to have Chicago-style pizza only to disappoint. Pizza Papalis bakes a Chicago Style Pizza that favorably compares to Giordono's in Chicago. Amongst my personal favorites, their spinach and three cheese pizza with sausage and mushroom pizza is a thick, cheesy pizza that melts in your mouth and makes a tremendous mess on your plate.

15. Close Proximity to Beautiful Parts of Michigan: This includes beaches and parks. Michigan is surrounded by the Great Lakes, and so many other rivers go through it. Smaller lakes make their home inside the state. Finding beaches requires no skill here. You want to fish, swim, camp, or just walk around really scenic areas, you are never far from it here. People mention "going north," and they mean that scenic areas with a simple lifestyle is found by driving north on I-75. You can say this about many places, but it is true in Michigan more than most.

16. Near Many Orchards: Depending upon what is "in season," you can pick strawberries, apples, peaches, blueberries, and more with only a short drive from Detroit. Plus, many orchards offer hayrides and places for your kids to play. It really becomes an event.

17. Frankenmuth: This town is less than two (2) hours from most parts of the Detroit Metro Area. This is a town that is an obvious tourist trap, but it is still worth seeing. It is an old-time German town, placing a large emphasis on Christmas. In fact, on the town's outskirt, there is a store called Bronner's, which sells Christmas themed things nearly every day, except, well Christmas. The town's most celebrated restaurants are Zehnders and Bavarian Inn. You can order many things, but I recommend the Family Style Chicken Dinner. There are small shops within the downtown area, and it sits beside a scenic river.

I might have missed some other things, which is good. That means that the Detroit Area offers even more than I am promising. Enjoy Detroit!